NATCHEZ — Adams County Christian School’s Lexie Emanuel doesn’t often get flustered — at least she tries not to show it.

As one of four seniors on this year’s Lady Rebel basketball team, Emanuel likes to take a peaceful approach to everything she does, especially on the court.

“I try to be calm,” she said. “I’m not a very loud person and I try not to get mad. I feel like if I’m calm, maybe it will help other people to stay calm, too.”

Emanuel has been playing basketball since the second grade, and the long-term dedication is something Lady Rebel coach Melanie Hall said has developed over time.

“She has had to hear me chew her out since she was in junior high,” Hall said. “I got on her tail about every day, but I saw something in her. I knew her potential, and she knew if I ever stopped hollering she should worry.”

Emanuel said it is hard not to feel the love from her coach.

“She’s so happy all the time — until she’s not,” Emanuel said. “She calms down when we do what we are supposed to.”

But of course, Hall thinks Emanuel is the perfect piece to keep everyone on the right track.

“She does a lot of stuff that goes unnoticed,” she said. “She has been so steady every game and she always takes care of all the little things. She is always going to be there for you, whatever she has to do.”

Emanuel added her teammates have also helped her along the way. Beside her on the team are seniors Brianna Henson, Kaci Gudeon and Caitlyn Gamberi.

“A lot of us have been on the same team since we were little,” she said. “Sometimes we make mistakes, but it would be totally different if we weren’t together. It would be hard to adjust since we know how to work with each other. It’s easy.”

Throughout the years, Emanuel said basketball is not only something that keeps her calm, but keeps her busy, too.

If she does ever get mad at a mistake she has made — which she said does happen — Emanuel knows at the end of the day, it’s just a game.

“I just have to take a breath and tell myself that I know I can do better,” she said. “It’s all about just doing your best.

“I’ll definitely miss my teammates and Coach Hall — just something that I can do other than school.”